March 22, 2026, 5:10 p.m. PT
In reality, it was always going to be a tough hill to climb for the Oregon Ducks to leave Austin on Sunday, bags packed for the Sweet 16.
Facing the No. 1 seed Texas Longhorns, in Austin, Texas, of all places, is a task that would stump just about anyone in the nation. So with the Ducks losing 100-58, their season comes to an end, finishing with a 23-13 record and a second straight NCAA Tournament appearance.
It wasn’t without a great effort, though. Katie Fiso led the Ducks with 16 points, while Ehis Etute added 11 and 10 rebounds. In the end, though, a career-high 40 points from Longhorns’ star Madison Booker was just too much to overcome.
The Ducks were able to jump out early in the game and make a statement in the opening minutes, building a quick 13-8 lead in the first quarter. However, the Longhorns quickly woke up and got the offense going. Texas ultimately went on a 17-4 run, stretching the lead to 25-17, and then closing the quarter with a 28-21 lead.
Oregon’s offense stalled in the second quarter, and the Longhorns began to open things up. Fortunately, Janiyah Willilams was able to hit a three at the buzzer to make it 45-34 going into the half, but Texas had already done its damage.
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Things didn’t get better in the second half for Graves’ team. Texas started the third quarter on an 11-2 run, and they ended up outscoring Oregon 28-8 in the frame, building a 73-42 lead.
While the season ended with a blowout loss, this season as a whole was relatively encouraging for the Ducks. After two straight years of missed NCAA Tournaments following the Sabrina Ionescu, Satou Sabally, and Nyara Sabally eras, Oregon is back into the mix as a consistent tournament team, with the arrow pointing up.
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